Monday, September 20, 2010

BAPTISMS - Dos Hermanas Sevilla 09/20/10

BAPTISM OF SAMUEL & TOPWe had everything well planned for Top & Samuel's baptisms. A couple of priesthood leaders offered to give us a ride to the Stake Center & to bring the baptismal pants with them. Top & Samuel arrived at our house at 7 as planned to leave at 7. The baptism was scheduled to start at 8. But of course our ride showed up at 8:15, and both seprately forgot the baptismal pants. To make the matter worse, we got a call from the mission president asking where we were. He randomly decided to show up, which I learned is very rare. Once we made it in downtown Sevilla, there was a giagantic procession fiesta going on and our Stake Center being in the middle made it impossible to park by it. We had to park at least a mile away. The mission president seemed slightly annoyed by the situation. Anyway, all went well and it was an awesome event. Samuel and top are really happy & they both bore incredible testimonies.Their interviews were intense, cuz top had a hard time understanding but overall it was an amazing experience. Because we started the baptism late, we missed the last train home, but yeah it was worth it. Yesterday we attended a meeting that took all day.Elder Larsen, Bishop Rondaln, Samuel, Top & Elder Bennett.

The Baptism of these two young men Samuel & Top went forward last Saturday night (Sept. 18th) as scheduled. Elder Larsen & Elder Bennett had taught them & worked very hard to make this special event happens. The baptism was held in the new Stake Center in Sevilla. These two were the first in the new font. I garantee they won't be the last. Great work Elders.

Summary of Top & Samuel's conversionby Elder Bennett08/02/10:"We had another noche hogar with two Africans, and it was incredible! One of them name Samuel gets the gospel, he understands it and he's pretty much golden, but his buddy Top unfortunately just doesn't get it. He asks weird questions that aren't questions at all but are his mixed doctrines of evangelical teachings and stuff. At the end of the noche hogar, he changed. He started to accept more of our teachings.We taught both of them about the Book of Mormon, modern day prophets and asked them to pray about it and be baptized. I think there's a chance for a baptism but not quite sure yet. HOPEFULLY!! They both were like: "can I be baptized again? I was already baptized in another faith, can you baptize me again?"o8/10/10: "We asked Samuel and Top our nigerian investigators to be baptized this week. They agreed to be baptized this saturday. Unfortunately, we may have to cancel the baptism and postpone it to another day cuz we have nowhere to perform the ordinance."

08/17/10:"We canceled the baptism of Samuel and Top and it's gonna be on september 25th. We made them realize that they have to be clean before they enter the water, not repent afterwards. So they gave us that date and told us that they'd be ready by then"

08/30/10: "Our 2 Nigerians investigators Top & Samuel are getting baptized on the 18th of September and hopefully at our new stake center in downtown Sevilla."

09/07/10:"Our two investigators Samuel and Top are golden. Their baptisms are still scheduled for the 18th of September. Unfortunately the font at our Stake is still broken. We are hoping we can do the baptisms at our new Stake."

09/13/10: "Samuel and Top are super excited about their baptisms. The bishop will be the one baptizing them. We are so happy for the two of them."

Click on the picture for a larger view. Sept. 20th - 25th 2010

Leadership training at the Mission home in Malaga 07/18/2010

Malaga Spain Mission 07/06/10

President Richard R. Clegg, his wife & Elder Bennett. This is a pic taken when Elder Bennett first arrived in Malaga Spain. BIENVENIDO

Madrid Spain MTC 06/23/10 to 07/05/10

The new Missionaries when they first arrived in the Madrid SPAIN MTC on June 23rd, 2010.

Provo MTC 05/05/10 to 06/21/10

Elder Pratt (Provo MTC companion) & Elder Bennett

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Expanding the Vineyard

The First Presidency has determined that on July 1, 2010 the Spain Bilbao Mission will be dissolved and the boundaries of the Spain Barcelona and Spain Madrid Missions will be realigned to include the areas now served by the Spain Bilbao Mission. President Richard R. Clegg (from the Bilbao Mission) will be the new mission president of the Spain Málaga Mission. In conjunction with these changes, the Elche Stake (from the Barcelona Mission) and La Mancha district (from the Madrid Mission) will be associated with the Spain Málaga Mission. The Canary Islands (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Spain District) will be associated with the Spain Madrid Mission presided over by President Watkins.